


Ask My Heart

by Recourse



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Alternative Universe - Dark Fantasy, F/F, Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-04
Updated: 2018-03-04
Packaged: 2019-03-26 19:35:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,378
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13864554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Recourse/pseuds/Recourse
Summary: It's been two years since Chloe and Kate's marriage, and many more since Rachel's brief return. Chloe's looking for their future, and is depending on Max and Victoria to give it to her.A continuation ofBook and Candle.





	Ask My Heart

**Author's Note:**

  * For [xanfiction](https://archiveofourown.org/users/xanfiction/gifts).



> Happy birthday, Heather!

Chloe stares at the gate to the Caulfield mansion. Just do it. Put your hand on the pad, go in, talk to Max. Like you’ve done a lot of times before. No big deal. You’re best friends, that’s what you do, all the time. Nothing different today.

Except for the thing Kate asked about.

Chloe swallows, shifting from foot to foot and trying not to feel the subtle stares of the people passing by her on the marble streets of Citadel. Yeah, so the Primal Guardian is standing still and staring down an Oracle’s gate like she wants to murder it, who cares? She’s allowed to do that. It’s not illegal.

She runs her hand over through her freshly-cut blue hair, trying to find a way to calm down. It’s just, wow, this is real. She and Kate have been married two years, and now _this_ is coming up, and she honestly wouldn’t trust anyone more to handle it than her best friend’s wife, but—

Max’s face appears in one of the windows and they make eye contact. Shit. Max’s face lights up the way it always does (and it’s always super adorable except for now when it means she’s been caught) and she vanishes from the window, darting for the door. Chloe sighs. No getting out of it now. She puts her palm to the pad on the front of the gate, lighting up the jewels embedded within, and it swings open just as the front door does the same.

“Chloe!” Max shouts down the steps, leaping over them and running up to hug her. “Great to see you!”

Chloe squeezes her tight, then lets her go. “Uh, yeah...I kinda need to talk to you?”

“Is something wrong?” Max asks, looking up with concern in her eyes.

“Not really?” Chloe attempts. “Look, uh, let’s go inside and I’ll tell you about it, ‘kay?”

“Sure. I’m not busy.” Max squints. “You’re sure you’re all right? Haven’t gotten a single nickname from you yet.”

“Hey, I don’t always have to be on my game.”

“I know.” Max gives her a soft smile. “But, you know. It’s nice when you are. It lets me know you’re okay.”

As they head into the house, Chloe says, “Seriously, I’m fine, it’s just — I’ve got a big thing to ask you and it’s hard.”

“Really building the suspense here, Chloe.” Max gives her a smile over her shoulder as they head into the living room, where two cups of tea sit steaming—

Wait a minute.

“What else did Fate tell you?” Chloe accuses, pointing her finger at Max as she giggles guiltily.

“She doesn’t tell me anything, remember? She just tells me what’s _not_ going to happen.” Max rolls her eyes. “She’s still not really over it, but she’s like, weirdly compelled to tell me things. Like _The Guardian is not not coming to visit you in some time less than a day but more than an hour but less than two._ ” Max uses her hand to mime Fate’s words. “She just likes making my life difficult.”

A pang of guilt strikes Chloe. “Sorry that—”

“You are not apologizing for the consequences of saving your life _again,_ Chloe. So seriously, what are you here about?”

Chloe sighs, sinking down into the sofa and taking a sip of the offered tea (Kate makes it better) before trying to talk again. Max takes a seat across from her, looking like her naturally nosy self.

“So, um,” Chloe starts, drumming her fingertips on her knee. “Kate and I have been married for about two years now.”

“Oh, yeah, your anniversary was last week!” Max perks up. “Congrats! But...is something wrong?”

“No, no, nothing’s wrong, just...me and her were talking about it.” Chloe gulps. “About, um...what we’re gonna do next. Steps forward. You know.”

“I don’t,” Max says, shaking her head. “Chloe—”

“Kate wants to have kids.”

“ _Oh._ ” Max takes in a sharp breath. “...do you want kids too?”

“I mean, we talked about it a lot. I’m nervous as hell. I don’t wanna...screw up.” Chloe looks off to the side. “Me and Mom might be like, in a better place now, but she still ended up with me as a daughter, you know?”

“You’re a pretty good daughter, Chloe.”

Chloe snorts. “Yeah, okay, _now_ maybe. Let’s not talk about when I was nineteen and spent six months in the Wilds turning into a freak.” She still dreams of growing claws, fur sprouting from her arms, scales forming on her neck.

“Okay, fair point. Have you decided?”

“Yeah. I wanna try. For her. But…” Chloe takes in a deep breath. “She wants to _have kids._ You know. Herself. That’ll be a mix of both of us.”

Max’s eyes go wide. “Oooh. You mean…”

“Yeah. That Allat ritual. The really expensive one.” Chloe chews on her lip. “I know we could get anyone to do it. Y’know, just buy a coven’s service or whatever. But...we both decided that the only person we’d trust to do it is...well, your wife.”

Max chuckles. “She’s gonna lord that over you forever, Chlo.”

“I know, but seriously. Ever since that mess that brought us all together, she’s been a good friend. Don’t look at me like that, you know she likes me too. And she’s the best damn ritualist in the Witchdom.” Chloe looks down, swirling her tea. “And if you screw this up...Allat’s petty. That’s what all the books say. She’ll strike you barren if she doesn’t like your offering. We can’t risk that, not for Kate. It’s really important to her.”

“Victoria should be home soon.” Max leans over, putting her hand over Chloe’s. “It means a lot that you’re trusting something so important to us.”

“I just hope it’s the right call.”

“It is. You’ll see. My wife can be a bit difficult sometimes, but she’ll be happy to help you.”

 

* * *

 

“No.”

Victoria folds her arms, trying not to look at Max’s disappointed face. Chloe’s is actually much worse, though, so she’s not sure where to look at all.

“Why not?” Max demands.

“Because…” Shit. Victoria hadn’t really thought about why, she’d just kind of blurted it out.  And now that she is thinking about it, it’s completely embarrassing. “Because it’s not ethical,” is what she settles on.

Chloe’s face goes from heartbroken oh-gods-what-do-I-do confused face to just an ordinary confused face. “Ethical? What are you talking about? I didn’t think you were like Kate’s super strict Druidy mom, all ‘magical conception is an abomination’ and crap—”

“You’re not supposed to do intensive rituals with bad consequences for failure on people you know well.” Victoria wets her lips.

“Why the hell not?” Chloe demands, and Victoria’s starting to see the Guardian coming out, so she quickly tries to come up with a way to phrase it.

“You...care too much about the result, you get nervous, and if you’re nervous you’re sloppy. And if it goes wrong…” Victoria gulps. “If it goes wrong, you’ll never forgive yourself.”

“Victoria, I…” Chloe takes a moment, breathing. Something she learned from Kate, no doubt. “You’ve never failed a cast. Everyone knows it. Why am I so special?”

“Because you’re my friend! And so is Kate!”

Suddenly, Chloe breaks out in a wide grin. “A-ha! She does like me! I told you!” she shouts, pointing at Victoria and raising her eyebrows at Max.

Max chuckles, then clears her throat and tries to be serious. “Victoria,” she says, and Victoria almost wants to wilt entirely at that tone. Only she can do that. It’s totally unfair. Victoria doesn’t have such weapons in her own arsenal.

“Max,” she tries to respond. “It’s — it’s not just me that — look, they’re important people! I really can’t mess this up, if, if I strike the Guardian or her wife barren…”

“You won’t.”

“Ooh, Oracle shutdown,” Chloe calls. “That settles it.”

“No, no,” Max chides. “I’m being supportive of my wife, not telling the future.”

“You really have to stop giving up all your trump cards like that.”

“Max, really—” Victoria tries again, but those blue eyes are just cheating right now.

“You do spells on me _all the time_ , Tori. You’re really good at putting your emotions behind you when it comes to rituals. You’re good at your job.”

Victoria sits down beside Chloe at last, running a hand through her hair. “I just — I don’t want to ruin it all,” she admits quietly. “Not like I did before.” She unconsciously traces the scar on her cheek, and Chloe takes in a sharp breath and looks away. “This is big. It’s really fucking big. It’s your whole future.”

“I know,” Chloe says softly. “I wouldn’t be here in person if I didn’t know that. I wouldn’t be asking you. But I know you. I know how careful you are. I make fun of you for it all the time, but I really respect it. And you.”

Victoria takes a deep breath. But before she can speak, Max pipes up with, “And if you let someone else do the ritual and they mess it up…”

“I’ll think I should’ve been the one doing it anyway, and I’ll blame myself for that,” Victoria sighs. “Gods, you need to stop being right all the time.”

“I’m your wife, that’s my job.”

Victoria leans forward, taking a cup of tea at last. She sips carefully, closing her eyes. As she sets it down, she turns to Chloe.

“I’ll do it. But we’re doing it my way.”

 

* * *

 

Kate kneads the soft grass beneath her with her toes. The ritual tent casts colorful shadows across her face as she breathes.

This is it. This is really it.

Over the past few months, everyone had been doing their research. They’d rehearsed, even. But there are still things they wanted to save for the ritual itself, things they didn’t want to do more than once, and this is one of them.

Slowly, she sheds her brown dress, folding it and laying it to the side. Naked, she kneels down in front of the clay bowl placed before her on the ground, taking it in her hands. There isn’t much of the sacred nectar to drink, but it’s thick and sweet, and by the time she’s finished her head is heavy, the colors around her bright and blurry. She smacks her lips, trying not to lose focus.

As she stands, she feels the air shift, the flap to the tent opening to allow in another. She turns to face Max, watching the beaded ceremonial robes sparkle across her body before managing to look into her eyes. A crown of pink flowers weaves around her head, the same flower that provided the nectar Kate just drank. Allongia.

Max holds in her hand a cup of thick, black liquid, a paintbrush sitting within it. Across the circle, Victoria is with Chloe, taking the same steps. Victoria told Kate why, that supposedly the goddess of love and fertility would prefer it if the two witches casting the spell were a pair of lovers themselves. It feels good, and right, to Kate. For it to be this way. Max looks so beautiful tonight.

They will perform in silence until the words are to be spoken, so Kate holds out her palms for Max, closing her eyes. The brush tickles her skin.

One rune on each hand. Another on her heart. Finally, Max crouches down, and carefully draws the final arcane shape upon Kate’s body, a simple circle over her womb, the one part of the ritual that is hers alone, not mirrored by Chloe. Max stands up, their eyes meeting again, and Kate’s heart pounds with deep affection for her. Such a kind woman, so willing to sacrifice herself for others. Kate wouldn’t trust anyone else with this.

Max takes her hand and leads her out of the tent, into the bright moonlight. Kate stumbles over her feet, the allongia making her woozy, her skin sensitive to every touch. The ritual circle spreads out before them on the bare stone, dozens of chalk runes woven into its concentric layers, a heartfelt plea to Allat written in the way that best pleases her. Kate sees Victoria first, before they reach the center ring and she turns to face Chloe, while Max does the same for Kate.

Each of the witches produces a single, smooth, polished ball of pink quartz, and places it into the right hand of their charge. They leave to stand at opposite ends of the circle, and Kate can see Chloe fully, the soft shimmer of her blue hair, her sweat-soaked bare skin marked with runes. They come together, each placing their left hand over the jewel in the other’s. The glow illuminates their faces from below, and Kate can’t stop her tears, and doesn’t want to. Chloe, for once, cries with her, both of them struggling not to break their composure as they wait.

In tandem, Max and Victoria begin the chant. Kate and Chloe close their eyes, preparing for their cue. When Max and Victoria’s voices halt, they lean together, and kiss, just once.

Kate’s heart jolts, and she feels Chloe do the same as they struggle to hold onto one another. The jewels crack open in their hands and spew glowing pink particles into the air, while deep red fireballs emerge from their chests and float slowly towards the exact center of the circle. When they meet, the particles rush in and surround them, creating a rainbow bloom of color and light that shines like a star. Kate’s hands shake, but she holds, she has to hold, nothing else matters. They stare into one another’s eyes, and whisper a celestial word of bonding and commitment to each other.

The star flares, and quite suddenly rushes into the glyph on Kate’s stomach, a powerful flush of energy going through her. She almost cries out, but she will keep her silence, she _will,_ she just needs to hold it, a little longer—

A song fills the air, like the call of birds. The ritual circle around them lifts off the ground, chalk dust flying into the air and transforming into flower petals, raining down on the two of them, and Kate’s body settles.

For the first time in her life, she hears the voice of a goddess, just one word in her own language.

_Congratulations._

She sobs, the ash that was quartz falling from her hands as she embraces Chloe, harder than she ever has in her life. Max and Victoria breathe sighs of relief, and quickly run to the tents to retrieve Kate and Chloe’s clothes.

“I love you,” Kate chokes into Chloe’s shoulder. “Thank you.”

“I love you too.” Chloe gulps. “So much.” She pulls back, wiping Kate’s cheek. “We’re in this together. Nine months.”

“You can still have a miscarriage or any other pregnancy complications,” Victoria warns as she heads up, shoving Chloe’s clothes at her insistently. “It’s not a guarantee any more than the natural way.”

Kate touches her stomach, the little tingle of magic still persisting there. “It’ll be all right. I can feel it.”

“I’ve got a good feeling too,” Max says, bringing out Kate’s dress. Kate raises her arms and lets her drape it over her.

“Oracle says it’s gonna be fine,” Chloe says, still half-dressed, elbowing Victoria in the stomach. “That means I win.”

Victoria bristles. “Don’t get all—”

“Thanks, Victoria. For everything.” Chloe hugs her, which throws Victoria off, but she settles into it in short order. Kate hugs Max, too, because she deserves it, and they all did this, together.

With the four of them working together, it feels like there’s nothing they can’t do.

 

* * *

 

Max holds tight to Chloe hand, both for her own sake and to stop the woman from physically barging into the Elder’s birthing hut. Max can’t exactly blame her, but this _is_ her role for the evening. But if Victoria was making those sounds, Max would definitely need Chloe to use everything in her power to stop her from rushing in.

Chloe’s breath is shallow, her pulse strong in her hand. Max leans into her as they stare at the fire, trying to calm her with sheer best-friend energy. It’s the least she deserves.

“Max,” Chloe mumbles. “Can you tell me what you heard, again?”

“Chloe—”

“Just say it again. It makes me feel better.”

Max clears her throat. “The child will not die, but they will be marked by magic.”

“Marked by magic.” Chloe swallows, running a hand through her shaggy hair. She’s let it go wild since the third trimester started. Max can see the stress in her face. “Yeah. Yeah, I can live with that. Vague, though, isn’t she?”

“Fate’s a bitch,” Max says, and Chloe chuckles in solidarity.

“Fate’s a bitch,” she repeats. “God, I can’t believe this is actually happening. All of it, I mean. Thank you so much.” She pauses. “Will...will Kate be okay?”

“Yes. I went into a trance, Chloe, I’d tell you if I heard anything bad, and I asked _everything,_ ” Max promises.

“Gods, I can’t stand waiting out here,” Chloe moans. “What if Tasha just drops dead? She’s like a hundred, right?”

“Tasha’s not gonna drop dead, Chloe.”

“What if Vic—”

“Victoria’s just there to fetch things the Elder needs, Chloe. I promise she won’t be touching your kid.”

Chloe laughs. “Not what I was worried about, just...there’s a lot that could happen.”

Another scream comes out of the hut, and Chloe’s entire body contracts. And then, something else.

A cry. Strong and loud. Chloe shoots to her feet, and Max stands up to steady her. “Hold on, just a little longer,” Max assures her. Chloe suddenly wraps her in a hug, like it’s the only way for her to stay still at all.

They stay there, breathing together, listening to the crying calm down, until they hear Victoria clear her throat. “You can come in now,” she says, shifting nervously on her feet. “But, Chloe…”

“Yeah?” Chloe separates from Max and shakes in place.

“Just...nothing’s wrong, they’re both fine, Tasha actually says it was a really good delivery, but...be ready, I guess.”

“Super helpful as always, Vic,” and with that Chloe’s already walking through the door. Max hops to catch up, and finds that Chloe’s stopped at the doorway, frozen in place. When she peers around her friend, she sees why.

Kate lies on her back against a pillow, Tasha lying beside her and gently stroking the baby’s back. The baby seems calm, nestled against their mother’s chest, but on their head is a wet tangle of bright, bright blue.

Kate and Chloe lock eyes. “Hey,” Kate says, in the softest voice Max has ever heard. “It’s a girl.”

“Gods,” Chloe chokes, covering her mouth. Tears spill down her cheeks. “Oh, Gods.”

 _Rachel,_ Max thinks, because she knows it’s what Chloe wants to say. She reaches out and takes Chloe’s hand, squeezing it briefly.

“Come see her,” Kate urges, her voice hoarse from screaming, but now so steady. “Please.”

Chloe nods, letting go of Max and heading over to Kate’s side. She reaches out for the baby like she’s afraid she’ll burn her.

“It’s okay,” Kate promises. “It’s okay.”

Victoria quietly shuffles in, and Max leans on her, watching as Chloe gently lifts a blue curl off the baby’s head.

“I was thinking about naming her after Rachel,” Kate says, reaching out and stroking Chloe’s hair. “If you wanted.”

Chloe can’t speak for a while, and Max almost feels she should leave; but then Chloe looks at her, and she knows that everyone in this room is welcome for this. Max stays silent, linking arms with Victoria, waiting for Chloe to make her own decision.

“Dawn,” Chloe says. “Her middle name was Dawn.”

“I think that’ll be wonderful.” Kate reaches out her free hand and pulls Chloe in for a kiss. “Hold her for me. She should know both her mothers.”

Chloe nods, and, so gently, takes Dawn in her arms. Standing here, watching her best friend in the world cradle the child that all four of them made possible together, Max is certain this is exactly where she should be.

 


End file.
